THE UNEMPLOYMENT DONATION.

Marlborough Express, Volume LIII, Issue 276, 24 November 1919, Page 5

THE UNEMPLOYMENT DONATION.

AN ANIMATED DEfBATE.

LONDON, Nov. 22. Sir R. S; Hoirne, in the House of Commons, stated that' there weir© 1,100,000 people receiving the unemployment donation in May. There were 4G3;000 recipients in September, of whom 302\,000 were' exfighters, 65,000 civilians, and 35,000 women.' There were now _479,000 recipients, who did not represent actlual unemployment, but uiiempkiyment was not greater than th© average of fifteen years before the war. A goodi many were voluntarily idle.

Sir R. S^ Home predicted a period of prosperity ' ahead, enabling the country to bear lightly the present colossal burdens.

The statgjnent resulted in an animated debate on the whole' problem of withdraw ll v$ doles. Members of jill parties united in asking the Government to continue -the dtoles for some weeks, until the Government's unemployment scheme came into operation. Sir R. S. Home pointed out that when .the payments were, abandoned a considerable pq*tilon of -those unemployed would }>c covered by trades union benefit*. He hoped soon to introduce the Government's proposals. s Mr Clynes said tliarfc Labor could not silently accept the pa-opasals. If iti was right to pay unemployed! when the_ .numbers wore larger surely it was right Ito continue in view of the increased cost of living. He appealed to the Government to reconsider" continuing tjho payments until the spring. . Siir E!dward Carson -concurred in declaring, among Labor cheers, that the casa for continuance wasi unanswerable.

Sir Donald Ma-clean reproved the Government, far not submitting a, carefully considered ! substitute jscbeme for -^gradual '{diminution, infifcead of a sudden stoppage at a most inopportune moment. He urged continuance pending an alternative. General Seely pointed out* that the dinliriution cf Air Ministry empioyees hadi swelled unemployment, and he appealed to the Government to give ait opportunity^ to them to seek work.

LurdJ Hugh. Cecil said that! econqniy was the 'supreme •necessity.

Mr Bonar Low stated that the .system of doles must be -clemoralising.. It was only. justifiable by t<he abnormal conditions arising ' out of the war. It could not be allowed to ?beoame permanent. One of the ■gneatesit social reforms wcxild be comprehensive unemployment insurtancn, to which th© workers could largely contribute, but iit could not be effected! without the cot-operation ipf organised Labor. This was impossible if Labor was led to think that the donation waa obtainable without cjontiibutiloii. The Goirornmeufc was willing to< consider extension until tlie spring if there was general agreement. Cries of. "Vies;" follbjwedi by "Noes." *

Mr Bon sir Law replied that (the decision lrjust be left to a division. Mr Clynes's test amendment to reduce the Ministry of Labor vote was ndgatived -by 217 votes to 213. ThL> means the cessation of payments to .civilians.